Got kicked out of a thrift store....

I sent a message to Desert Industries Thrift Store on West Craig in North Las Vegas. I'll post the letter I sent below, not the best I admit. I have been through a lot in the past two weeks and it's hard to gather all of my thoughts right now so bear with me. If I missed anything please let me know and I'll include it in a response to the response lol.

To Whom it May Concern,

I regret to inform you that I will no longer be doing any business, or recommending any to, your businesses. In your location at 3750 West Craig, Las Vegas on the 5th of Feb 2014 I was kicked out of your store by a manager for carrying a firearm openly. He was polite, however he asked me that even if I had a CCW license I would have to leave it in my vehicle. Leaving it in my vehicle would be very irresponsible because it would be unsecured, being a potential threat to other peoples if my car was broken into on your property.

I am not sure if this represents your company on a whole, however I will be relating my experience at your location and your response to my message on Opencarry.org which is a group of individuals that are concerned with stores not supporting peoples rights, specifically the 2nd Amendment.

As a last note, your store at that location had never given me issues before, I had been in there multiple times open carrying without being told to disarm or leave. However, you have no signs posting saying that you do not allow firearms in your facility. I would be sad to see such an amazing thrift store to become another rights free zone.

Very Respectfully,
Me

Not many letters have the desired effect although I see no harm in serving them with a letter.

I would say if a letter does not work, perhaps picketing them would be a follow-up option.

Not bad, please post any response. I've not shopped there so don't know what they have. What would be a store that would be considered a competitor? Knowing that they are actually losing business to a competitor because of a policy based on nothing but feel-good politics will eventually help if everyone did it. But you'd be amazed how many loyal and unapologetic Costco shoppers we have on the gun boards.

One small thing is that they are called Deseret Industries, not Desert Industries, but it's actually a common mistake around here.

If Savers is a competitor, I've shopped there with no issues. I'm often surprised at what I find. I'm a small size, so there are often decent clothes there because I have little competition for my size. I've even gotten gun cleaning kits and AutoMeter gauges. Savers has military discounts and honors my DD-214 as proof of service. I think it might be extra discount on Tuesdays, but it's been a while since I was there.

Sorry to hear about your trip to D.I.

I've only ever shopped in the location in Clearfield, UT, and was quite impressed with the selection of stuff.

Can't recall if I saw anyone OCing, though.

I just checked in with a friend of mine who worked for Deseret Industries for a few years. He says that they do have a no firearms policy. Whether there is signage posted or not at the Crag location he didn't recall. He says that there is signage for sure at their location on E Flamingo. That is a church policy and probably not something that local manager would likely be able to change.

Please do not put anything about a sign in the letter. In NV on a private biz a sign carries no weight of law. We dont want them to feel like it does. And since it is part of the M church you wont get anyplace. They are anti gun.

Do you have contact info. I will send them a note.

Vegassteve said:

Please do not put anything about a sign in the letter. In NV on a private biz a sign carries no weight of law. We dont want them to feel like it does. And since it is part of the M church you wont get anyplace. They are anti gun.

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I wouldn't say that the church is anti gun. I've been to a lot of church shoot events. By a lot I mean in my previous ward we had annual Turkey Shoots, and incorporated shoots into regular camp outs with the youth, day shoot father and son activities and I know of other another ward that had organized hunts in the past.

Also the church is big on prepping. The prepping involved goes from food storage, self defense including firearms.

The church having a policy of not carrying in church buildings doesn't meant that they are Anti 2A.

Vegassteve said:

Please do not put anything about a sign in the letter. In NV on a private biz a sign carries no weight of law. We dont want them to feel like it does. And since it is part of the M church you wont get anyplace. They are anti gun.

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Not that I don't trust you're telling the truth, but I'll have to verify that. Every Mormon family I've met at least believes in the "sporting purpose" for firearms, and most of the ones I've met appear to be firearms enthusiasts. Were they just not "devout" enough, or was this a recent change?

From what I've gleaned about the LDS church, they are encouraged to be preppers, what with the having a year's food on hand and all. Did firearms just get skipped over?

Yep, Vegassteve this is one time I respectfully have to disagree. The vast majority of LDS members is pro-gun, Second Amendment supporters. I am surprised at the Thrift stores stance and will let them know what I think about it.

28kfps said:

Yep, Vegassteve this is one time I respectfully have to disagree. The vast majority of LDS members is pro-gun, Second Amendment supporters. I am surprised at the Thrift stores stance and will let them know what I think about it.

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I guess I base that on the fact that they have a anti stance in the church in Utah, no carry. I said the church. I didnt say the members. I could have been more clear about that.

De5115 said:

The church having a policy of not carrying in church buildings doesn't meant that they are Anti 2A.

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In my mind it does make the church org anti. Just like costco is anti in my mind etc. Doesnt make those who work at costco anti, people need jobs. Doesnt make church members anti, peeps need a church.


UMMM this is interesting. http://newsone.com/1856915/mormon-church-owns-controversial-gun-selling-website/

Never mind answered the caffeine question I had.

Most Mormons are pro-gun. The Church itself is anti-gun. They are the only church in Utah to have signed up on the state website to make it an actual crime to carry a gun in a Mormon church. No other church has done so, as of the last time I checked. That doesn't mean there aren't other anti-gun churches, just that they haven't put it on the website, but may rely on the other legal methods of notification.

I took his post to refer to the organization, not the membership, but maybe I was just more familiar with the situation as Utah-certified to teach their permit class, and I grew up with dozens of Mormons.

MAC702 said:

Most Mormons are pro-gun. The Church itself is anti-gun. They are the only church in Utah to have signed up on the state website to make it an actual crime to carry a gun in a Mormon church. No other church has done so, as of the last time I checked. That doesn't mean there aren't other anti-gun churches, just that they haven't put it on the website, but may rely on the other legal methods of notification.

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The United Church of Christ is now on that list too. But it was just added in the last few months, I believe.

http://publicsafety.utah.gov/bci/CFchurch.html

Felid`Maximus said:

The United Church of Christ is now on that list too. But it was just added in the last few months, I believe.

http://publicsafety.utah.gov/bci/CFchurch.html

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After years of being right, I'm wrong by a few months when I finally actually say it. Figures...

Oh well, point valid!

Thanks!

The competition "Catholic thrift store" Kicked Tiger Lily out in St. George for open Carrying... She made a video about it. Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yubPWtYruLU

That's really weird. I OC'd at Deseret in Rexburg, Idaho all the time when I lived up there last year without any issues.

I'm a member and registered to post a comment:

The Church is not "anti gun", in that they would not act to interfere with private ownership or use of guns. However, their position is "No weapons in a house of God." They include the Desert Industries thrift stores under that umbrella, as the store is part of their employment program.

I can see how "The Church is not anti gun" is exactly the same as "No weapons in a house of God." Thanks for clarifying that.

I am not anti-gun, but I don't want you bringing any weapon in my house...yup, totally makes sense!

FogeyLV said:

I'm a member and registered to post a comment:

The Church is not "anti gun", in that they would not act to interfere with private ownership or use of guns. However, their position is "No weapons in a house of God." They include the Desert Industries thrift stores under that umbrella, as the store is part of their employment program.

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And by the Mormon Church's choice, they are making it an actual prosecutable crime against the state of Utah to be caught with a gun in their church in that state. That's a pretty high-handed "position" to have.

The position itself is flawed. God has no need of state laws to protect Him. And God makes use of armed followers to protect each other. No church is immune from crazy people coming inside, ignoring a sign or a posting on a state website.